Vladimir Monomakh nuclear submarine to be launched at Sevmash shipyard

byonDecember 31, 2012

ARKHANGELSK, Dec. 30 — The launch ceremony of the second serial fourth generation strategic nuclear-powered submarine of Project 955 (Borei class), Vladimir Monomakh, will be held at the Sevmash military shipyard in Severodvinsk on Sunday, December 30, the plants press service told Itar-Tass.

After the submarines roll out from the slip dock the Vladimir Monomakh will be launched and will start mooring and sea trials, the press service reported.

The Vladimir Monomakh is the third Borei class vessel. It belongs to the class of missile strategic submarine cruisers. It was designed by the St. Petersburg-based Rubin Marine Engineering Design Bureau. The nuclear-powered submarine was laid down at Sevmash on March 19, 2006, on the day of the 100th anniversary of the Russian submarine fleet. The latest developments in noise reduction were applied in the construction of the Vladimir Monomakh submarine, the press service said. The nuclear-powered sub is equipped with a new missile system with the Bulava solid fuel intercontinental ballistic missile.

The head submarine of Project 955, the Yuri Dolgoruky, also built at Sevmash, has completed the test program and is ready to be delivered to the Russian Navy. The first serial production submarine cruiser of the project, the Alexander Nevsky, is currently undergoing state tests. The enterprise is currently building the Knyaz Vladimir submarine, which was laid down this summer under the 955A advanced project.

The Borei class submarine carries Bulava submarine-launched ballistic missile, which is a naval version of the SS-27 Topol-M. The Yuri Dolgoruky will carry 16 of these missiles. The Bulava (NATO Designation SS-N-30) ballistic missile has a range of 8,000 km. The forth submarine of the class is built to Project 955A standard. Improved subs will carry 20 ballistic missiles. Borei has about half the displacement of the Typhoon class, however will carry similar number of missiles. This fourth-generation nuclear missile submarine is less detectable to sonar than her predecessors. Other advancements include a pump jet propulsion. The Borei class is the first Russian submarine with such propulsion system.

The Borei class submarines with the Bulava ICBM are to form the basis of Russias naval strategic nuclear forces in the coming decade. According to earlier reports, it is planned to build a total of eight Boreis by 2020, with three of them under Project 955, and five under Project 955A (modernised low noise and advanced weapons with 20 Bulava ICBMs on each). The cost of the construction of the lead Yuri Dolgoruky submarine was 23 billion roubles, the cost of the serial submarine cruisers should be less.

Sevmash is Russias largest shipbuilding complex, located on the shores of the White Sea. It has an advanced engineering and metallurgical base. Its production capacities allow it to build ships and vessels with the displacement of up to 100,000 tons equipped with conventional and nuclear power plants. The company employs more than 26,000 people. Sevmash is part of the United Shipbuilding Corporation. Over its 70-year history, the shipyard has built 45 surface ships, 163 submarines, of which 128 are nuclear-powered subs. Sevmash is currently building two groups of nuclear submarines of the new generation  attack (Yasen class) and strategic (Borei class). (PNA/Itar-Tass)